The Somerset reporter., 1887-12-21

Appropriate remarks and resolutions |
were offered in memory of the late Broth
er George Dexter llukley, deceased. once
Master of the State Grange of New York,
also in memory OF Brother W II. Wilson
formerly Master Of the State Grange, Of
Florida.
GRANGE CONSULT rIpN.
am directed by the National Grange
to submit for your consideration the fol-
lowing alterations Of our Constitution.
list. Amend Articles VII by insert
ing therein the following ~ State
Grange shall have the power 10 regulate
the fees for membership within its ju
riSdiction, provided however, that the
minimum fee shall not be less than one
dollar" Under National Grange, see
ton ., page II, Seventh Degree, Isl and
2nd lines, strike out the wordsi Ma
tional Grange, who have served one
year therein" and insert the words
i.Order who have received the Sixth
Degree: - and in the third line after the
word election" add the words upon
the payment of one dollar When
amended it will read Seventh Degree
Ceres Charity members of the order
who have received the Sixth Degree, may
| become members Of this Degree IN the
| National Grange, upon application and
| election, and the payment of one dollar
| THE DANGERS OF CONSOLIDATED WEALTH
AND TIE REMEDY.
The almost fabulous Increase of person
| al property in stocks, bonds and other
| valuable securities now aggregating
| thousands of millions of dollars re-
presents the larger portion of the wealth
| of the nation, and the financial opera
| tions and speculatiouS for the past twenty
| wears have favored the maSslug of con
| siderable PARTON of this vast wealth of
the country into the hands of IL few.
| This has been subject of much com
ment, and given rise To serious APP
prehension of future peril The vast
| monied power of the nation, when con-
| centrated upon the election of men who
| shall govern us, make our laws and
when used to direct the political policy
| of the public administration of affairs,
cannot fail to have a potent influence,
and unless restrained and Counteractcd
by the combined and well directed eff
| forts of the people. and those whose in
| terests are of a more general character,
| serious consequences must follow, in
| which no one suffers more than the own
| crs and tillers of the soil. Ii is Il diff
hcult matter by any process of law to
regulate to any considerable extent the
the amount of individual wealth. We
have no right to intrench upon the legal
accumulation of individual property how
ever large, except by just and constitu-
tional methods
There are few indirect methods which
may help to ease the burdens which are
borne by the people in consequence of
| the accumulation of property in the
| hands of Il few, and there are constitu-
~ Il IA ~
methods and influence of overpowering
| monopolies. 1t cannot have escaped the
notice of the intelligent farmer that his
| property bears an unjust share of the
| burdens of taxation The acts and doings
| of Congress and Legislatures, and the
records of our courts show how much
| time and labor are given to the demands
| of corporations, personal property and
| class legislation more than to all other
| interests combined. Personal property,
| values in stocks, bonds, income money,
merchandise and other like representa-
| tives of value have escaped just share
| of the burdens of the government. The
grand purpose of the Grange is the pro-
lection of the farmer against the uses
and abuses of special class legislation,
and the power on monopolies to secure
the passage of such laws AS will remove
| burdens and insure equal and the same
right to every pursuit. To this end the
| Grange was instituted, for this purpose
| we are organized, let us be true to our
code of principles, and adopt as our
guide the spirit of the language of the
late and lamented Hon. ID. Wyatt Aiken
of South Carolina which he uttered when
he first joined the Grange
81 desire to connect myself with a
farmers organization which knows its
| rights, dares assert them, and will defend
them
THE DIGNITY or AGRICULTURE AND WHAT
IT HAS DONE FOR ADVANCING CIVILIZATION.
The history of the world from the
| Mosaic account of its commencement
through subsequent centuries and down
TO the present period illustrates the truth
that "God moves in mysterious way
his wonders to perform" He was the
first great Patron of agriculture, and
placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, and
our earliest ancestor was thereby made
farmer, All along the parkway of
centuries, there are central points
toward which the march of progress
through divine and human agencies con
verge and meet for grand results. Wri' :
ten history Is full of remarkable revela-
tions, and 1t reveals the necessity of slow
civilization and progress. We are told
that the flood once destroyed nearly every
| living creature on the face of the earth.
We accept the conclusion that such a ca
| lamity became necessary in the hand of
| Providence for the advancement of bet
ter and higher existence. Noah was a hus-
bandman, and owned extensive vine
yards. The Mosaic law from the hand of
| Moses was not a spasmodic effort, or the
meditation of day, but the concentrat-
ed wisdom of long experience seeking a
| central point, and thus from its sacred
| teachings for long centuries have govern
ments and laws received their highest
inspiration of justice. Moses the divine
law maker was a shepherd. The world
moves onward. and the march of pro-
gress continually follows the unerring
index toward great central points, where
are developed and established great his
toric and moral truths for the elevation
of man. Experience tells us that the
world has right to live in anticipation
of revelations and revolutions. Thus,
nineteen centuries ago the great Divine
promise was fulfilled by the birth of
Christ, the conservation of the most re-
markable experiences and event ever
written on the pages of history, and from
this starting point there was new de-
parture in religious and law, the influence
of which is progressive and will reach
the remotest period of time The Savior
of the world was born in manager, midst
the surroundings of rural life, and the
sacred mission of conveying the intel
ligcnce of that great event was intrusted
to a band of shepherds. The sixteenth
century was remarkable as the central
point of various agencies which was the
consummation of the German Revolution
under the leadership of Martin Luther.
The forty years war of the Peasants of
Central Europe against the power of
religious Capitalization was the prime
cause of the reformation.
An eminent historian says that New
England was settled by colony "of God
fearing Farmers In our own country
the American Revolution was the force
of consummate wisdom and forethought |
and Capitalization in the interests of |